Copper alloys



Patented Nov. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE GDPPER ALLQYS No Drawing. Application August 12, 1938,

' Serial No. 224,501

1 Claim.

pending application S. N. 164,032, filed September 15, 1937.

An object of the invention is to improve the physical, chemical and electrical characteristicsof such 'alloys. I

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the appended claims.

The present invention comprises a combination of elements, methods of manufacture, and the product thereof, brought out and exemplified in the disclosure hereinafter set forth, the scope of the invention being indicamd in the appended claims.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention is described herein, it is contemplated that considerable variation may be made in the meth- 0d of procedure and the combination of elements, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The present invention relates to the improvement of alloys of copper and zirconium. According to the present invention the improved alloys are made of the following elements in substantially the following proportions:

Per cent Manganese.- i 0.1 to30 Zirconium 0.05 to 5 Beryllium 005m 3 Copper Balance.

The beryllium combines with the manganese or metals to form the beryllide thereof and thereby imparts age-hardening characteristics to the alloy.

The addition of zirconium in this type of alloy, not only imparts additional age-hardening characteristics, but also produces a material of corrosion resistance, high strength at elevated temperatures and superior fatigue and impact properties. Y

The alloys can be made according to standard alloying methods. A' preferred method for introducing the zirconium is to prepare a hardener alloy containing a high percentage of zirconium and then introduce a predetermined amount of this alloy into a copper melt, containing the other ingredients in the desired proportions.

After the alloy has been prepared according to such methods, the material may be heat treated by first quenching the alloy in the form of a billet or sand casting, or any other form, from above 700 C. and subsequently aging at a temperature below 700 C. In certain cases, we have found it also advisable to use one heat treatment only, namely, the low temperature treatment, and eliminate the quenching treatment.

If the materials are processed by rolling, extruding, drawing, forging or any other fabricating methods, we have found it desirable in many cases to quench the materials from the intermediate anneals, cold working same and applying an aging treatment afterwards. This cold Work-. ing before aging hastens considerably the'precipitation of the dispersed phase. In addition, a certain amount of cold work may be applied after aging in order to improve the surface finish of the wrought material.

A preferred range of proportions for the alloy of the present invention is as follows:

Another type of alloy according to the invention has the ingredients present in the following ranges of proportions:

. Per cent Manganese 15 to 25 Zirconium 0.05to 5 Beryllium 0.05 to 3 Copper Balance.

. In some cases the alloys may also contain up to several percent of an iron group metal. The alloy given above, for example, may have, in addition 2 to 12% nickel.

The addition of zirconium has further beneficial efiects, in so far as it raises the annealing temperature, and at the same time provides a very fine grain structure, which is highly desirable if the material is to be worked into sheets, strips, or tubing.

While the present invention as to its objects 'and advantages has been, described herein as carried out, in specific embodiments, it is not per, characterized by high hardness and further desired to be limited thereby, but it is intended characterized by the fact that its hardness is not 5 to cover the invention broadly within the appermanently adversely affected by temperatures 5 pended claim.

in the order of 450 C. 'What is claimed is: FRANZ R. HENSEL. A heat-treated alloy composed of 0.05 to 5% EARL I. LARSEN.

zirconium, 0.1 to 30% manganese, 0.05 to 3% beryllium, and the balance substantially all cop- 

